The University of British Columbia, in Region 1, has recently reopened its AISES chapter. We are devoted to the success of Indigenous staff and students in the lower mainland of British Columbia studying and working in STEM fields. With new members joining every year, the UBC chapter meets monthly to maintain and build an active community, supports Indigenous youth in discovering a passion for science, and contributes to National Conferences through research presentations.
In March, the chapter hosted retired NASA astronaut Dr. John Herrington, Chickasaw, at an inspiring community event at the UBC First Nations Longhouse. The morning started with an interactive workshop with local Indigenous youth who participate in the Cedar STEM outreach program (cedar.ubc.ca). Chapter members along with the UBC engineering outreach program Geering Up facilitated a problem-solving activity based on the Apollo XIII mission. Students were also able to participate in a question and answer period with their newly introduced role model, Dr. Herrington. The knowledge exchanged and the variety of topics addressed illustrated the creativity and engagement of the students.
Dr. Herrington then went on to address many Indigenous students and staff in an inspiring talk. In all, this day marked a great opportunity for our chapter of AISES to share all our initiatives throughout the past year and continue to seek broad support from our campus partners and encourage a growing membership. We are confident this is only the beginning of many exciting initiatives to come in the next few months for our chapter.
— Chapter members Connor Keane and Joel Liman
➜ The College Chapter at North Dakota State University in Fargo has been recognized with a 2019 Bison Service Challenge Award. The Service Challenge is a friendly competition among student groups that tracks the number of volunteer hours members contribute, and winning groups receive a Bison Service Challenge Award.
➜ The AISES College Chapter at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., collaborated with the school’s Native American Support Center to host a roundtable discussion on industrial poultry farms. The event attracted a diverse audience concerned about the impacts, environmental and otherwise, of “factory” chicken farming.
➜ The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Professional Chapter hosted a tea-making workshop and presented a Sphero robotic activity at the Family Reunion in June.
The generosity of our Full Circle of Support (FCS) Partners and Circle of Support Partners is integral to the AISES mission. FCS Partners are organizations that have established a multiprogram partnership with AISES for three or more years, while Circle of Support Partners assist in funding a diverse range of programs and events in the STEM fields. We wish to thank each for their continued effort to serve AISES student and professional members.
